Thirty states recorded unemployment rate decreases in March from February while eight states posted rate increases, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported Friday.
Another 12 states and the District of Columbia had no change.
Forty-nine states and the District of Columbia registered unemployment rate decreases from a year earlier, while New York experienced an increase.
The national jobless rate was little changed from February at 8.2%.
The largest over-the-month increase in employment occurred in New York (+19,100), followed by California (+18,200) and Arizona (+13,500).
The largest over-the-month decrease in employment occurred in Ohio (-9,500), followed by New Jersey (-8,600) and Wisconsin (-4,500).
Arizona (8.6% unemployment) experienced the largest over-the-month percentage increase in employment (+0.6%).
The West continued to record the highest regional unemployment rate in March, 9.6%, seasonably adjusted, while the Midwest again reported the lowest rate, 7.4%.
Nevada continued to record the highest unemployment rate among the states, 12%, seasonably adjusted, in March.
North Dakota again registered the lowest jobless rate, 3%.
